EAST LANSING, Mich. — Two University Distinguished Professors in the College of Education were recently appointed to a national committee that will help in the process of reforming STEM education in the United States.
William Schmidt, co-director of the Education Policy Center, and Suzanne Wilson, chairperson of the Department of Teacher Education, will serve on the National Research Council’s Committee on the Evaluation Framework for Successful K-12 STEM Education.
In response to a request from Congress, the National Research Council in June 2011 issued the report “Successful K-12 STEM Education: Identifying Effective Approaches in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” The report considers various STEM-focused school models, highlights research on effective STEM education practices and identifies conditions that promote school- and student-level success.
After the report’s release, Congress asked the National Science Foundation to begin working on the changes outlined in the report. In addition, Congress requested that NSF identify methods for tracking and evaluating the implementation of the improvements.
In response, the NSF has requested that the National Research Council appoint an expert committee to develop a strategic plan for evaluating progress toward the report’s recommendations.
This project, taken on by Schmidt, Wilson and eight other committee members, is overseen by the NRC’s Board on Science Education and Board on Testing and Assessment.
The committee is scheduled to complete its report by November.
Recommended improvements at the state and district levels include adequate instructional time and resources for science, coherent standards and curricula, greater teacher capacity and supportive school conditions.
At the state and national levels, the report urges greater attention to science, including assessments for science, investment in support for STEM teachers and increased support for research programs to identify instructional practices that improve student outcomes in STEM.
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